HOW TO PUT YOUR READING

INTO (ACADEMIC) WRITING

PPI Bristol & Bath Academic Workshop

Facilitator: Yesaya Sandang (BUDI-LN 2017)
Introduction
• Workshop structure and approach
– (Critical) Reading
– (Critical) Writing
– Interactive
– Feel free to ask questions as I go along
– Exercises
 Reading
• Why
– Discuss with your neighbor (5 min)

• Imagine
• Answer questions
• Expand our mind
• Being a literate person
• Improve our vocabulary
• Understanding
• Reference

Image source: http://parklandplayers.com/reading-aloud-with-children-and-why-it-is-important/

 Reading
• How
– Use your gadget (5 min)

• Skimming
• Scanning
• Mapping
• Intensive Reading
• Speed Reading

Image source: https://leaderonomics.com/personal/memory-and-speed-reading-techniques-to-improve-your-productivity

 Reading

Source: http://www2.amk.fi/mater/kielet/kiva3/reading_skills/readtech/Reading_techniques.jpeg
 (Critical) Reading
• Assessing the
extent to which
author have
provided adequate
justification for
their claims
• Depends on what
the authors have
communicated
• But also on your
knowledge,
experience and
inference (Wallace
& Wray, 2011)

Image source: https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/how-to-read-a-book-3-strategies-for-critical-reading/

Elements of Critical Reading
• Evaluating
– Evidence provided
– Author reasoning
– Author values or assumptions
– Author claims compare with those of other
author
– Author claims compare with reader’s
evidence or knowledge
• Links to self-critical writing
M. Wallace & A. Wray, Critical Reading & Writing for Postgraduate, Sage, 2nd edition, 2011, Ch. 1
 Example 1
• Literature Matrix
Critical Reading
Critical Reading
• What are the authors trying to
achieve?
• What is the structure of their
argument?
• What are the main claims?
• Are the claims supported by
evidence?
• Are generalizations justified?
• Are key terms uses consistently?
• What are the authors’ underlying
values?
• Am I keeping an open mind?
• Is irrelevant material included, or
necessary material missing?
• What sources do I need to follow
up?
Writing
Self – Critical Writing
• Have I said what I am trying to do?
• Does my account have a logical
structure?
• Have I stated my claims supported
by appropriate evidence?
• Have I avoided unwarranted
generalizations?
• Have I used key terms consistently?
• Have I made my values explicit
• Do I assume my reader are open to
be convinced
• Have I excluded irrelevant material
and included all that is relevant?
• Is my referencing full and accurate?
M. Wallace & A. Wray, Critical Reading & Writing for Postgraduate, Sage,
2nd edition, 2011, Table 1.2
Further Reading
• What to read (Ch.2)
• Critical synopsis and analysis (Ch.3)

M. Wallace & A. Wray, Critical Reading & Writing for

Postgraduate, Sage, 2nd edition, 2011, Ch. 1
Exercise 1 (15 min)
• Critical Reading
– What are the authors trying to do in this paper?
– What are the main points of the paper?
– To what extent do you think they succeed in this
paper?
– What kind of literature is this?
– What level of technical knowledge is assumed of the
reader?
– Do they convince you that cloud computing is going
to grow?
– Are there any ethical issues to take into account
when considering their conclusion?
– How did you go about reading and understanding this
paper?
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoG3vd8G_yPmrXmDv1CIon4VfXrs
 Writing
• Why
– Discuss with your neighbor (5 min)

• To pass a course/graduate
• To communicate ideas
• To become a domain expert
• To better understand the domain
• To get paid, get notice, promoted
See: https://www.slideshare.net/SusanVisser1/the-
art-of-technical-writing-for-york-university

Image source: https://booksandcoffee1.com/2017/01/25/why-write/

 Academic Writing
• Types
– Use your gadget (5 min)

• Essay
• Research
writing
• Technical report
• White paper

Image source: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6265/3368/1600/academic-writing-triangle.jpg

 Critical Reading Writing
• Read generously to understand, then critically
to engage and evaluate
• Take notes systematically
• Take useful notes
• Write as you read
• Review your progress
• Manage moments of normal panic

K.L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers (University of Chicago Press, 7th edition, 2007), Ch. 4
Planning
• Exploring the issue
– Make clusters
– Use variations of reading technique
• Main points you want to deliver
– Outline
– Mind map
• Writing
– Start writing
– Coherent structure
– Clarify, clarify, clarify
– Do not claim more than you have present
– When in doubt, cite
– Revise
A. Watson, A Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett, 3rd edition,2000)
Write to communicate not to impress

Speaking/Listening
Speaker  interact directly  Listener

Writing/Reading
Writer interact indirectly Reader
Writer : Many scientists are worried about
the drinking water in the United States.
Reader: Why are they worried?
Writer : They think that soon there may be no
more clean drinking water.
Reader: Why do they think so?
Writer : Dirt, salt and chemicals of factories can
get into the water.
Reader: Then?
Writer : Then it is not safe to drink.
Reader: Does it happen in every state?
Writer : This is already true in some places.
Reader: Can you give me any examples?
Writer : One example is a small town in Massachusetts. Many
children in this town became sick because of the dirty water.
Another place with water problem is Sacramento, California. The
water near airport in Sacramento is not safe to drink. Many
other cities and towns have water problems, too.
Many scientists are worried about the drinking
water in the United States. They think that
soon there may be no more clean drinking
water. Dirt, salt and chemicals of factories can
get into the water. Then it is not safe to drink.
This is already true in some places. One
example is a small town in Massachusetts.
Many children in this town became sick
because of the dirty water. Another place with
water problem is Sacramento, California. The
water near airport in Sacramento is not safe to
drink. Many other cities and towns have water
problems, too.
 Paragraph

Topic sentence

Controlling idea

Supporting sentence

Use your gadget – 5 min

a. A breakthrough in one of these areas will hopefully provide a
means of relieving both the overstretched oil market and the
environment.
b. Researchers in the automobile industry are experimenting
with different types of engines and fuels as alternatives to
the conventional gasoline engines.
c. One new type of engine, which burns diesel oil instead of
gasoline, has been available for several years.
d. Finally, several automobile manufacturers are experimenting
with methanol, which is a mixture of gasoline and methyl
alcohol, as an automobile fuel.
e. A further type is the gas turbine engine, which can use fuels
made from gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene and other
petroleum distillates.
f. The increasing depletion of oil reserves, along with
environmental concerns, have prompted some radical
developments in car design over the past few years
• f. The increasing depletion of oil reserves, along with
environmental concerns, have prompted some radical
developments in car design over the past few years.
• b. Researchers in the automobile industry are
experimenting with different types of engines and fuels as
alternatives to the conventional gasoline engines.
• c. One new type of engine, which burns diesel oil instead
of gasoline, has been available for several years.
• e. A further type is the gas turbine engine, which can use
fuels made from gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene and other
petroleum distillates.
• d. Finally, several automobile manufacturers are
experimenting with methanol, which is a mixture of
gasoline and methyl alcohol, as an automobile fuel.
• a. A breakthrough in one of these areas will hopefully
provide a means of relieving both the overstretched oil
market and the environment.
• In European universities, students are not
required to attend classes. In fact, professors in
Germany generally do not know the names of the
students enrolled in their courses. In the United
States, however, students are required to attend
all classes and may be penalized if they do not.
Furthermore, in the European system, there is
usually just one comprehensive examination at
the end of the students' entire four or five years
of study. In the American system, on the other
hand, there are usually numerous quizzes, texts,
and homework assignments, and there is almost
always a final examination in each course at the
end of the semester.
• University systems and syllabi can vary
considerably from country to country and
particularly from continent to continent.

https://www.staff.uni-giessen.de/~ga1070/topic_sentences_ex.html
 Further Reading
• A. Watson, A Rulebook for Arguments
(Hackett, 3rd edition,2000)
• K.L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers (University
of Chicago Press, 7th edition, 2007)
 Acknowledgement
• UPT Bahasa ITB
• Prof Richard McClatchey
• Prof Ian Beeson
 Terimakasih

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